The Hill’s 12:30 Report — House GOP tees up controversial votes on military spending plan

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The Hill’s 12:30 Report: House GOP tees up controversial votes on military spending plan, PLUS all the Free French Fry Day news you need to know 

TALK OF THE MORNING 

Full House to vote on contentious defense bill amendments 

House Republicans allowed votes on controversial amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, paving the way either for possible approval of the must-pass bill by the end of the week or a complete collapse of their efforts to get it through the chamber. 

The $886 billion military spending plan has been tangled up in efforts to attach hot-button GOP priorities, including abortion, gender-affirming care, diversity initiatives, Ukraine funding and other culture war issues. 

The hardline House Freedom Caucus and its allies have sought to use the crucial Pentagon bill to bolster those efforts, even though amendments could alienate Democrats and threaten the bill’s passage in a House floor vote with the GOP’s razor-thin majority. 

Staying on track: The House Rules Committee met just after midnight to complete its consideration of the defense bill. 

The panel ultimately agreed to let 80 amendments on hot-button topics squeak through for debate among all House lawmakers. There are nearly 300 additional non-controversial amendments that were allowed separately to keep the ball rolling on the overall legislation while leadership hashed out which of the more controversial amendments would be added. 

This makes it possible for the full House to finish considering the NDAA this week, after some members had worried the amendments battle would stretch the debate into next week. (The Hill) 

It’s Thursday, July 13. I’m Elizabeth Crisp, filling in for Cate, with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. Send me your tips: ecrisp@digital-stage.thehill.com and follow me on Twitter @elizabethcrisp. 

In Congress 

Republicans back whistleblower despite federal indictment: 

GOP members of Congress are rallying around Gal Luft, the think tank leader who has been indicted on charges that he’s operated as an unregistered agent of China and facilitated illegal arms dealings. 

Luft has been held up among Republicans as a key whistleblower as they carry out probes into Hunter Biden and his business dealings, and they argue that he only faces prosecution because of politics. 

What we know: Luft’s indictment marks the latest GOP grievance over the Department of Justice and federal authorities, coming as Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee grilled FBI director Christopher Wray this week over several instances that they say show political weaponization of the federal government. 

The charges against Luft are that he helped connect an unnamed former high-ranking government official to Chinese officials in 2016 and facilitated payment without registering as a foreign agent — a violation of federal law. He is also accused of illicit arms trafficking.

GOP’s attacks on President Biden boiling over: A week before the charges against Luft became public, he claimed in a video shared by the New York Post that he was arrested to prevent him from testifying before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on the details of the Biden family’s business dealings   

Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) called Luft a “very credible witness on Biden family corruption” in a tweet last week.   

Comer also has requested that Wray provide his committee with copies of the FBI’s report without redactions of details about government interactions with Luft. The think tank leader has claimed he shared his concerns with federal authorities, but nothing came of the allegations. (The Hill) 

In the White House 

Source of cocaine found at the White House likely to remain a mystery: 

The Secret Service has ended its investigation into the discovery of cocaine at the White House after failing to identify a suspect, lawmakers briefed on the matter disclosed Thursday. 

Members of the House Oversight Committee told reporters after a private Secret Service briefing that the probe will officially wrap up Friday. The Secret Services said there was not sufficient DNA or fingerprint evidence to help them in their investigation and no video evidence to give them a lead. 

“Basically they told us that the investigation will be over tomorrow, they don’t know who it is,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said. 

The small bag of cocaine was found in a White House cubby used by visitors and staffers on July 2. 

The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment. (The Hill) 

Harris hits the road to hype administration to key groups: 

Vice President Harris has a busy travel schedule ahead of her. 

The White House has announced that she’ll be traveling the country to spread the word of the administration’s accomplishments to key Democratic constituencies. The trip comes at a critical time for the Biden administration as the president (and vice president) aim for a second term in the White House. 

Harris’s schedule has her meeting with prominent LGBTQ groups, Black and Latino communities and anti-gun violence groups. 

“From visits to Florida and Massachusetts to Illinois and Indiana, the vice president will continue her leadership while ensuring communities and constituencies not only have their voices heard but that they have a seat at the table in the Biden-Harris administration,” the White House said in a statement. 

Harris will first travel to Chicago on Sunday for the Rainbow Push Coalition’s annual convention in Chicago. The following week, she will head to Indianapolis for the national conference of Black sorority Delta Sigma Theta (notably, Harris was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Howard University). (The Hill) 

2024 

Trump’s rivals hesitate to attack him. That could spell trouble: 

Some Republicans believe former President Trump‘s slate of GOP rivals are missing an opportunity to stand out in the crowded race for the party’s 2024 nomination by treating Trump with kid gloves. 

Trump, who has never hesitated to attack his opponents, is seen as the frontrunner in the race as he tries to reclaim the White House after losing to President Biden in 2020.  

The Hill’s Brett Samuels talked to several strategists with deep GOP roots about the tightrope candidates walk between lightly criticizing Trump and taking him head-on.  

From Samuels’s report: “There is a belief with the first debate on the horizon that the likes of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) will need to more forcefully take on Trump if they want to shake up the race.” 

Doug Heye, a former spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, told Samuels that if candidates stick to the side of only tepid criticism of the former president “then nothing is going to change.” 

But several of Trump’s GOP rivals have taken to indirectly addressing the elephant in the room, even though Trump has never held back on attacking his opponents. 

DeSantis, who has been polling behind Trump and struggled to keep his campaign afloat in recent weeks, has mostly shied away from criticizing Trump directly. When he has been more forceful, it has not always worked in his favor. A strange video the DeSantis campaign released last week attacking Trump’s past support of the LGBTQ community was a dud — drawing backlash even from Republicans. 

Candidates appear to still be feeling out the reality that they need to court support from some Trump backers if they don’t want to flame out.  

More from Samuels here. 

RELATED: Former Trump aide and Jan. 6 witness Cassidy Hutchinson signs book deal (The Hill) 

In other news 

FDA approves first over-the-counter birth control pill:  

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a birth control pill to be sold over the counter for the first time. 

No details have been released about the price for Opill, but it is expected to be available in early 2024. 

Prescription-less birth control has been embraced by both Democrats and some Republicans in recent years. 

It’s expected to significantly expand access to contraception, especially for communities that have less access to regular health care. (The Hill) 

Notable tweets 

B-A-N-A-N-A-S: Swalwell accuses GOP lawmakers of just wanting to talk about Hunter Biden photos: 

GIF: https://media.giphy.com/media/UI1qLkl9hekmoJWduz/giphy.gif  

Credig: GIPHY / Saturday Night Live 

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) called out his Republican colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee this week as they grilled FBI Director Christopher Wray, noting they were trying to make something of “private citizen” (AKA the current president’s son) Hunter Biden’s non-consensually leaked nude photos. “It’s bananas,” Swalwell says repeatedly.  

You just have to watch the video shared here on Twitter. 

Breaking the Rules (or House members’ bedtimes, at least): 

While you were sleeping … The House Rules Committee announced at 12:09 a.m. that it would continue its talks over the Pentagon spending proposal that’s been held up over squabbles on some far-right members’ demands. (Background here) 

“The Committee has reconvened,” the panel’s GOP leadership account tweeted. Be sure to check out the confused replies. 

On tap 

The House and Senate convened at 10 a.m., but either or both could leave town by the end of the day as the countdown to August recess looms. President Biden is in Finland but heading back to the White House today after his overseas trip. Vice President Harris is in D.C. but will make a quick jaunt to New York this afternoon for a campaign event, returning to D.C. tonight. 

• 6:15 a.m.: President Biden met with Finland President Sauli Niinistö at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland. 
• 10 a.m.: House Intel began a closed-door meeting on the Intelligence Authorization Act. 
• 10:30 a.m.: Biden held a joint press conference with Niinistö. 
• 11:30 a.m.: Senate Intel began a closed-door meeting on “pending intelligence matters.” 
• 12:45 p.m.: Biden leaves Helsinki en route back to the White House with an expected return to the White House around 9:30 p.m. 

All times Eastern. 

Here’s the full schedule of today’s committee hearings. 

What to watch 

• 10 a.m.: House panel that oversees public buildings began a hearing titled “When the Lights Are On But No One’s Home: An Examination of Federal Office Space Utilization.” (Tune in or watch the replay here) 
• 2 p.m.: House Small Business Committee holds a hearing on “Fraud in Pandemic Lending Programs.” (Watch here) 
• 3 p.m: House Judiciary’s panel on immigration holds a hearing titled “The Consequences of Criminal Aliens on U.S. Communities.” (Watch here) 

In lighter news 

Today may only be Thursday, but it’s also Fry Day — as in National French Fry Day!  

Fast food spots across the country are celebrating by giving out free french fries and other perks! 🥳  

I’ve rounded up a few places where you can get your fry freebies: 

McDonald’s has free fries of any size today. No purchase necessary, but only one per person and you have to download and log into the McDonalds app. 

Wendy’s is also celebrating the day with free any-size fries, but theirs require an in-app purchase AND you have a couple of extra days to get in on the action because their deal runs through Sunday. Claim it via the Wendy’s app or website. 

Burger King will give you a free order of fries — any size with a purchase and the weeks restarting on Mondays. BUT… It’s a bit more of an intricate to set up. It may be better suited for the King’s most loyal subjects. You must sign up for (or be an existing member of) the chain’s free but more complicated Royal Perks program. 

Smashburger will have free fries with any purchase in-store, on the chain’s website or on the app with the easy-to-remember code: FRIES. 

BONUS! Another way to “ketchup” on the Fry Day festivities: UberEats has teamed up with Heinz for a special deal. You can get $5.70 off orders if you have some French fries in your UberEats order.  

And because you made it this far, try not to let your heart melt if you watch this video of puppies and piglets palling around.